Leashing a tornado and living to blog about it

DNA Tests Make for Awesome Blog Fodder

After the Magical Mystery Mutt Tour, I was presented with an offer I couldn’t refuse. A dog breed DNA kit for free! I will admit, as the owner of a what-the-heck-is-she mutt, I’ve always been curious about this whole scientific method. But, as a die-hard skeptic, I’ve also always been, well, skeptical about the potential results. Hence, I’ve never been willing to fork out the cash.

I know others who have done so. Others who have received very odd results. Others who thought they owned Australian Shepherd mixes but were told they instead had a Rottweiler on their hands. Not that there is anything wrong with Rottweilers, I love them as much as I love all dogs. I may even own one some day. However, it doesn’t instill a lot of confidence in the DNA testing process.

I am not one to dispute science, but I am definitely one to dispute “estimated” science. I know as far as dog breed testing goes – when they guarantee results within a couple of weeks – it is up to the tester’s best guess. Furthermore, no dog breed testing company tests for more than sixty or seventy breeds. There are a lot more than that in the world. Sure, it’s rare, but what if my dog happens to be an Entelbucher? Even is she was pure-bred it wouldn’t show up as such on the DNA test. Just the “closest” match available. Which is why I have been reluctant to pay full price.

Now that I have received a full testing kit for nothing, I can look on it as a lark. A fun experiment. I am almost giggly with the prospect. I have no intention of taking the results to heart or changing my opinion of what Shiva may or may not be. But I am curious about what they come up with. Rest assured, I will share them with you the instant they arrive so we can all have a good laugh. That’s the kind of considerate person I am. In fact, the more ridiculous the results the better. I am hoping they will say with 90% certainty that Shiva is a Saint Bernard. Nothing would please me more.

Is that a little too cynical?

I know I will be waiting with breath that is bated. No doubt you are as well.

In the meantime, here is a bit of a brag. A few weeks ago Dogs Deserve Freedom posted a link to this fun dog breed quiz. I am proud to say I scored 100%. Are you willing to put yourself to the test?

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40 thoughts on “DNA Tests Make for Awesome Blog Fodder”

i’m so envous of your FREE dna kit. who cares if it’s not an exact science? it’s FREE! and it’ll be fun! i can’t wait to hear if shiva is part st bernard. stranger things have happened. i can’t remember where i made this comment during the MMT, but there is a dog living around here that looks like a russell/daschund littledog but has a rhodesian ridgeback ridge…a FULL one with double whorls!

i so want to beat you at the breed thing but it’s getting late and my neck is aching from typing too much. i will have to come back.

I think you get what you pay for in life– and somehow $49.99 to test DNA seems suspicious. Someone at our park had his dog done– came back something weird too. (Don’t remember what– Chow and something else). I asked my vet, and she said she thinks they’re hokum. But the truth is, if someone offered me a free kit, I’d grab it with both hands and boast about the results (assuming Our Best Friend came back something exotic!) Looking forward to the results!

My Mika is a mutt and strangely I’m not so interested in finding out what breeds or bloods he has in him. It isn’t important to me that he is pure bred or non-pure, what I want is a healthy (sadly his eye and skin problems popped up a month later after we adopted him from a shelter) and happy dog. Well, he’s a contented and happy dog anyway.
Those DNA kits sounds interesting, I can’t wait for your report of Shiva either : )
As Sara said, Shiva is 100% dog!!!

That’s pretty much the only way I’d do a DNA test… right now, with the technology they have available, i don’t trust their results. So i wouldn’t PAY for the test BUT if it were free, I’d JUMP at the chance.

I have some major concerns about the scientifically sound procedures (or lack there of) they use(d) in building their database… but psh, those concerns wouldn’t be a big deal if the test was free.

we got one of these for cheap and have just sent off our test of Chick . . . i don’t know if it will reveal much, but i am super excited to see just the same! can’t wait to hear what shiva is or is not!!

I think it’s very interesting to try and find out! Poppet and Milly were just found in the wild and I would love to know just why they were there and what had happened to them before! So, to get this test is wonderful, can’t wait for the results!

I know some people that have gotten some pretty crazy results with those DNA tests, so I am a bit skeptical as well. But if it’s free, why not? I’m guessing it’s going to come back as something wild like Bullmastiff, Toy Poodle, Dachshund, Chihuahua…I could go on…! Anyway, I’ll be interested to see the results!! I took the quiz and scored 100%…it was really fun!!!

Heehee! Oh, this is gonna be fun. When we had my dee-en-ay tested, mom looked all over at all the different brands. Like you said, most of ’em looked pretty silly and what they came back with was sometimes just ker-azy. So decided we’d go with the Wisdom blood test since it got good reviews and they say they test for over 140 breeds. I think they did a pretty good job on me (Half totally mixed up breeds, a quarter boxer, an eighth bull terrier and an eighth dachshund). We don’t know about the dachshund but they DID say when you have that teeny amount of dee-en-ay, you’re prolly not gonna look like that dog unless it’s a dominant trait.

Anywho…I think this is gonna be awfully fun! But you’re prolly right that you’re gonna get a wacky result. I bet they say she’s a pomeranian/poodle mix. Heehee!

Woohoo! 100% here, too! Although, when Newfoundland and Afghan Hound are options for the same picture, I wonder…

Does your DNA kit ask for a photo or physical description of Shiva? I know some do, and I’ve always kind of thought that was cheating. Maybe send along a photo of a St. Bernard and see how that affects results?

Very cool! I can relate to the doubts about the DNA test. I have a dog client that looks more like a Beagle-Rat Terrier mix, but the only definable breed they identified was Collie! Trust me the dog is nowhere near the size, coloring or looks of a Collie. It was so odd and very disappointing for both me and her mom. I hope that Shiva’s results are a little more definitive. I can’t wait to see what comes up!

I got 100% too … and am also waiting with bated breathe to discover Shiva’s heritage. When the DNA tests are more accurate I’ll do one on Frankie but for now I think it’s guess would probably be not as accurate as mine!